Livestock

Wildfire is a natural component of Northern Great Plains grassland ecosystem, and most pastures and rangelands will comeback with proper management. Nebraska Extension Educator Bethany Johnston talks timing and grazing management, following a fire.

Making the most of high prices in the cattle markets means producers should be paying close attention to price slides. Extension Specialist Elliot Dennis and UNL Grad Student TaraLee Hudson talk about a few price strategies to help producers take advantage of certain market conditions.

On today’s Almanac, Extension Educator Brock Ortner talks about making sure your cattle have proper magnesium supplementation to counter grass tetany. He says it’s a common issue when turning out cows to cool season pastures but also points out, different cattle have different mineral needs. 

Eastern red cedar trees can quickly take over pasture and rangeland if not monitored properly. Extension Educator Bethany Johnson talks about how red cedar trees spread and what farmers can do to stop the takeover. 

Grazing cornstalks during the winter can save feed costs as well as help the landowner with cleaning up the fields. Dr. Halden Clark from the Great Plains Veterinary Education Center talks about his experiences with custom grazing on rented cornstalks.

Salt is an effective intake regulator in self-fed supplements. But Montana State Extension Beef Specialist Sam Wyffels says beef cattle consuming low-quality forages with high salt diets may result in lower intakes and less efficient rumen fermentation.

It’s important to establish a good vaccination plan in your operation to insure cattle health. Nebraska Extension Beef Veterinarian Lindsay Waecher-Mead talks about what should go into your operations vaccination plan.

Bovine Congestive Heart Failure is the single most costly health-related problem in feedlots with losses surpassing hundreds of thousands of dollars annually in individual operations. Veterinary Brian Vander Ley an Epidemiologist and director of the Great Plains Veterinary Educational Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln talks about bovine congestive heart failure and what signs and symptoms to look for in your cattle.